NFL QB's Wife To Undergo Surgery After Brain Tumor Discovered, Asks for Prayers
Matthew Stafford expected to spend his April preparing for the Detroit Lions’ first offseason workouts later this spring.
Instead, he will be by his wife’s side as she faces the fight of her life.
Kelly Stafford revealed Wednesday that she was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
In an Instagram post, she said she will be undergoing surgery later this month to remove the tumor.
Kelly Stafford said that in the past year she began experiencing symptoms of dizziness, loss of balance and ultimately vertigo.
Her vitals and bloodwork all came back as normal, but the Lions’ team doctor recommended that she undergo a brain MRI, which revealed the tumor.
“I had a tumor sitting on some of my cranial nerves,” Stafford wrote. “The medical term they used was an acoustic neuroma or vestibular schwannoma. All I heard was brain tumor & that they had to do surgery to take it out… so that is what we are going to do & we believe we found the best doctor to do it.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t completely terrified of brain surgery. I am. I am terrified of them opening my head, I’m terrified of losing my hearing, I’m terrified of losing facial function, I’m terrified of far worse things that could happen and I’m terrified that I won’t take the time I need to recover because the guilt I might feel of being absent from my kids for too long… I am telling y’all this to ask for prayers and support.”
She asked for prayers for herself and her family.
“Things to pray for: -calmness in these next 2 weeks as I know anxiety will run high in myself & my whole family leading up to the day of surgery. -that God be in the room with the surgeons & give them all the guidance, steadiness, & confidence they need. -my safety during and after surgery. -please pray for matthew as I know his nerves will be high during this surgery,” Stafford wrote. “I couldn’t imagine being out in that waiting room.
“Thank u. Thank u for reading this novel. thank u for all your support and most importantly, thank u for your prayers.”
Numerous Lions players replied to her post with words of encouragement, including Darius Slay, Kerryon Johnson and former Lion Dan Orlovsky.
Stafford is from Atlanta, and she and Matthew met while both were attending the University of Georgia.
They have three young daughters, and her announcement came just days after the girls were baptized.
The godfather to one of Stafford’s daughters is Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who was also in attendance for the baptism. Stafford and Ryan have developed a close friendship with both living in Atlanta during the offseason.
The Lions’ first offseason workout is on April 15 with OTAs starting on May 20.
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